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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 9h

I had a formosana a few nights ago too, I have a number of out of season species by this autumn. Also in SW Hants.

Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

A mild start to the night in S.Hants and a good catch including Orange Sallow, Green-brindled Crescent, both NFY, Feathered Ranunculus & Southern Chestnut (NFY). Also several Clancy's Rustic, Vestal and Turnip.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

A new moth for the S.Hants garden last night, Plumed Fan-foot, a species I saw for the first time last year when trapping on my local Country Park. A migrant that is becoming established. #teammoth

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I thought I might have missed out on Convolvulus Hawk this year, so surprised to catch two in an otherwise poor catch overnight here in S.Hants.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

A new moth for me from a couple of nights ago, Many Lined trapped in an actinic trap in my Dibden Purlieu garden, a migrant with few Hants records. #teammoth @hantsbic.bsky.social

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

A man who backed the largest avoidable hit to the UK economy in decades. Harmed the UK, although personally he did very nicely out of it, so it is clear what his agenda is. If it is "on the slide" he pushed it.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Also a fabulous nectar source for those pollinators we are all being urged to protect.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Devil's-bit is incredibly reliable even in a drought and so valuable as a late season nectar source. Works in a garden meadow and as a border plant, easy from seed and long-lived.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

We have a major problem with grid capacity, much of our grid will just not take extra supply. It also stops things like hooking ships up to the grid when in port, so they just keep the engines on. Without capacity we cannot progress.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Losing their wings is an interesting strategy.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Inside the little 12v battery actinic. They fly really well, so I assume it flew in.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

A picture of today's male Verge Cricket attracted to light in Dibden Purlieu, S. Hants last night. Looking increasingly likely to be calling from a verge near you in the next few years. @hantsbic.bsky.social

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

By-catch top billing in Dibden Purlieu, S.Hants last night, with a Verge Cricket in the trap. I managed to pot it, but they are amazingly quick. Pictures all a blur, hopefully better later. #teammoth

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

A very bedraggled bumblebee, perhaps originally red-tailed?

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

I have noticed the same and not only moths, some unusually small individuals of some hoverfly species and other Diptera as well. I assumed poorer feeding conditions as larvae due to drought. Years ago I reared some S.Tortoiseshell which ran short of food, when the ads emerged they were undersized.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

A great area that, stayed beside the river there a few years ago, good moth trapping too and much quieter than Speyside.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Sadly experience shows that "restored gavel extraction sites" are almost entirely fish (usually carp) filled, eutrophic and hugely under- performing for wildlife. They could be so, so much better, in wildlife terms one of the great missed opportunities of the post war years in the UK.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

As an illustration of just how much sunshine we have had this month, we have just passed 1MWh of production for July. Of the other months this year every one, apart from April, was the poorest in the last four years. #solarpower

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

My best find today were these Fluted Bird's Nest fungi on the allotment, made up for the lack of veg!

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

I rarely saw them until I made thorough searches of the walls, they can hide really well, which I suppose is their plan. Certainly increased a lot in recent years.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

I find Marbled Beauty, Marbled Green & Tree Lichen Beauty rarely get into the trap, but a search of vertical surfaces nearby will often yield one or two. Willow Beauty and Knot Grass also more often out than in.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

There is also great inconsistency in the English names, often different between the micro book and iRecord for instance. If we are going to use "common" names they will at least need to be some agreement as to which are used.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

They are now often the commonest micro and occasionally the commonest moth in my S.Hants garden trap.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Moth trapping in S.Hants over the weekend attracted this bizarre visitor, a Wasp Nest Beetle, not just odd in appearance, but lifestyle too. A new species for me. #beetles #mothtrapping #gardenwildlife

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Plumed Fan-foot & Dewick's Plusia were the pick of last night's trap, both new for the garden, pretty good after 12 years trapping here in S.Hants. #teammoth #moths

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Is that Nessie on holiday in the foreground? Would be new for Hants I think!

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

I note that naturally set seedling trees still seem to be surviving, even if looking a bit stressed. You have to wonder if excluding grazing animals and letting natural regeneration do the job would not be much better in many areas.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

As it has moved inland it seems to be getting harder to find on the coast, or at least I have failed to see it along the Solent coast in the last couple of years.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Yes, only saw my first this year, but several in the garden now (S. Hants).

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Been away for four days and the garden mini-meadow has changed colour. #meadows #wildlife #garden

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Possibly the smartest Salticus scenicus I have ever seen, out on the shingle at Hurst Castle, Hants today. #spiders #UKspiders

Black and white jumping spider on a stone.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Looks the wrong shape for a Libellula to me, I would think Emperor might be a good fit though.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Myolepta dubia and Volucella inflata in the New Forest this afternoon on a failed late season search for Caliprobola speciosa, which I suspect is over for the year. #hoverflies #insects #NewForest

Myolepta dubia, a red and black hoverfly on bramble flower

Volucella inflata a black and caramel coloured hoverfly on bramble flower.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

When it stopped raining the insects came out. A few from LepeCP today. Wood Sage Plume, Marbled White, Ruptela maculata & Wool Carder Bee. All NFY and hopefully a sign of things picking up after a difficult period. #insects #moths

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Just about reaching peak Ox-eye Daisy and Corky-fruited Water-dropwort in the garden mini-meadow. Field Scabious and Lady's Bedstraw piosed to take over. #LawnFlowers

What was once a grass lawn now lots of flowers, mostly white and cream at this time.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

One if my favourites, although I have not seen one for several years.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

There seems to be a significant arrival going on, I have seen numbers at a variety of sites in S. Hants today, mostly quite or very fresh looking, but one perhaps the most tattered butterfly I have seen still flying.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

This female Clouded Yellow today was the 33rd butterfly species I have recorded in my S.Hants garden. #butterflies #uk #gardenwildlife

Yellow butterfly resting with wings closed. A female Clouded Yellow, a migrant species, May is quite early for records in UK.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Not a moth, but a NFG Clouded Yellow just now suggests there are insects on the move.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Assume this to be Wall Lizard, seen today at Leckford, Hants, poor phone pic only. Also saw my earliest ever Stag Beetle in the garden.

Wall Lizard heading out of shot! Very long tail and chequered pattern.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Just 3/3 for me in S.Hants, 2 NFY a Scalloped Hook-tip & Treble Lines. As you say, a decent warm day, calm at dusk with arriving Painted Ladys suggesting immigration, but a very poor night for moths.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

I know them, did not know they still had bulbs, will have to get onto them! Where we used to get stuff before AngLeps were a thing.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Where can you still get them? I ordered a couple afew months ago and they were really poor not the brand advertised and looked like rejects.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

A lot better than me. Trapped at home and Lepe last night, no migrants at either but a good few NFY, although I have not been trapping much. Maybe I need a bulb change too.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Our grid infrastructure would often not cope with it, locally even domestic installations are restricted due to incapacity.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Yes, our haunts were Eyebrook and Swithland/Cropston, both all day bus and foot outings. Often saw no other birders even at weekends.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Don't mention the Kildeer! Family moved away to Hampshire a few days before it turned up. I finally saw one this year.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Where I started "proper" birding in the early 1970s, first bus out from Leicester most weekends, off at Belton, walk to the res, then a circuit and walk to Uppingham for bus home.

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